Heart Blazing
by SpicyRoses
Summary: She was deadlier to him with an identity. Post Avengers, Catching Fire AU/ Hunger Games & Marvel Universe Crossover.


_**Set the Fire to the Rain. - Adele  
**_

* * *

_ Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel. Don't own Suzanne Collins. You'll probably spot anything that's not mine quite easily enough.  
_

**_Heart Blazing._**

_Post-Avengers, Hunger Games AU. My take if Katniss was the spawn of Hawkeye and the Black Widow. _

_I mean, we all have been thinking it, haven't we? _

_**[Set at the beginning of Catching Fire. Some events have been obviously obscured to fit the AU part of the story line.** ] _

1.

_I'm standing on the edge of a precipice. I don't know how I got there, but someone's tugging my arm as I fall onto my stomach. I gasp at the sudden impact and find myself staring at the rocks below. The blood drains from my face as I finally see who has been holding onto my arm. Our eyes lock, and the resolution in her steadfast face send chills through my arms. She seemed so calm about what was happening. How could she be so calm?_

_"Prim!" _

"_I don't care if we're rich. I just want you to come home. You'll try, won't you? Really, really try?_"

_Her voice was so far away. Ghost-like. I shook my head, refusing to let her to be so sad. Of course we'd be together again, of course I would come home. I freeze as I feel Prim's arms tugging away from me. It's almost like she wants to let go._

_"Prim," I screech at her. I can feel my eyes growing wide, "What are you doing, Prim?!" I try to push onto my knees so that I can lurch back with 's a deadweight. _

_No. No, no, no._

_"This is your fault, Katniss," a voice causes me to lurch away. It is sickeningly familiar. _

_"Katniss?" It's another voice, not Prim. I try force myself to sit up, shaking, but I can't make myself. I feel deflated as I collapse onto the grass. It hits me. Prim's gone, where did she go?_

_"You forgot about her," says the sickeningly cruel voice in my ear. "You were supposed to protect her, Katniss." _

_"But I did!" I want to scream. But the tension in my chest refuses to leave, and I'm pinned to the ground by an unknown force. I want the ground beneath me to swallow me up, I couldn't breathe. The clouds swirled above me, and I from above, I can see my lips moving. Trying to say something, but I don't know what and it scares me. _

_"No more lies, Mrs. Mellark," President Snow whispers in my ear, and I feel my soul sucked back into my body. I see myself falling into the explosion around me, and there's nothing I can do to save those that I love. _

Someone's screaming, and I realize it's me once I feel two strong hands gripping my wrists securely. I don't want the protection though, because I know I'll hurt them in the end. I know he's saying my name and wants me to open my eyes, but I refuse. If I wake up, everything will be real. I kick him away in retaliation, and hear him curse as I fall off the bed; still wrapped up in the silky maroon sheets.

My head spins for a second, and in an effort to stabilize my thoughts I place my forehead on my arms. I try to breathe as my nails press into my wrists. Movement from behind tells me that Peeta is moving off the bed to offer me comfort. I can't look at him though, and deep down I know he won't expect me to. Regardless, I still feel his hands around my bare shoulders. I am sure it's an unconscious act, but his fingertips delicately brush against the edges of my hair. He murmurs my name. That's when my shoulders shake, and I give in to wrenching sobs.

"Katniss?" Haymitch is watching the news on his plasma TV when I finally manage to leave the bedroom. Somehow through all this emotional wreckage, he's been the only one to have stayed the same. He still drinks. He offers me a glass of whisky, but one raised eyebrow tells him no. Drinking doesn't help get rid of the nightmares. Trust me, I've tried. Peeta usually falls asleep once I manage to convince him that I'm okay. But that night after what had happened to Gale, I had shown Peeta that had scared the hell out of him. He had stayed up for all of it to make sure I was okay.

"Where's Peeta?" I ask, slouching onto the comforting couch beside Haymitch. Peeta left after I had fallen back asleep, and we hadn't spoken since then. Then again, we rarely did after my nightmares. I can tell every time we looked at each other across the room that the pretense was killing him. I hate that, because I don't know how to repay his feelings completely. We could never be on the same page, I am certain. My heart tugs at the thought of him, and I force myself to stare at the muted screen. There wasn't room for anything like that right now. It was a luxury that not last if we ever were granted it.

"How would I know. The bastard snuck out," I heard Haymitch mutter suddenly. My reflexes get the better of me and as I ran out of the room banging the door behind me. Peeta never snuck out. It was a silent rule we had. Actions like that meant we couldn't trust each other. And we needed to trust each other. I needed to be able to trust him. Effoe is standing by a white tailored soldier by one of the automatic doors. Just by the way her powdered face can hardly force a real smile I can tell that something isn't right. My heart lurches again.

Peeta. He's in there I know it.

"Let. Me. Go. In," I heave at the soldier. I pronounce every syllable to let Evie know I won't take any of her anxious comments right now. The guard has to know who I am. He has to let me in. Without flinching the soldier moves and I watch him press the numbers of the code into the door way. I mechanically store them in my head for future reference, but as soon as the doors swing open my mind collapses.

_Peeta! Peeta! Peeta! Peeta! Peeta!_

I feel cold as I stare at Peeta's crumbled up figure before me despite the layers of my winter coat and scarf wrapped tightly around me.

_Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. _

I can hear banging behind me, and Haymitch swearing. There's scuffling, and I'm dimly aware of the sound of an iron pan hitting someone. I don't protect myself, I just need Peeta to wake up .

_Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. _

Forcing myself to react, I crouch down and delicately touch Peeta's brown bangs. I realize it was the first time I had ever touched them, and dumbly realize how soft they are. I almost withdraw my hand as a weft of dried blood rises to my nostrils causing me to gag. No, no, no.

"You'll be okay," I whisper, "You'll be okay."

It's a sickening mantra, one that I know I'm just using to calm myself. My hands take hold of the arrow that's been dug into his lower abdomen. Blood is soaking the shirt that I have seen him wear countless times since the Games. _Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. _I press my lips together tightly as I place my hands in preparation of pulling the arrow out. The arrow is thick so I can't just use one hand. I'm just about to kneel in front of him to when I'm pulled from behind. Away from him. "_No!"_

I'm still screaming as they are dragging my by my arms. In pure defiance I flail my arms around, hoping beyond hope that they'll just let me go. _Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. Peeta. _I try to wriggle out of the attacker's arm, and for a second they loosen but there's not enough time to reach Peeta. I feel a strong arm around my neck, and black spots start to form. I can't see scream his name anymore.


End file.
